Life and its Changing Paths
by Queen Grapefruit
Summary: This story is from the early days of Kohona, and follows the young life of our favorite pervert. But paths change, and the man the boy becomes is hardly recognizable after one loss too many. Rated for angst, really not too bad, just being carefull.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The End.

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I can still picture that day, as though a part of me lingers there still, and perhaps some does. For I can still taste the air, I can still feel the laughter of my sisters die, I can still hear those words. The words that destroyed my life as I then knew it, setting a strange and dangerous path beneath my feet in its stead.

I was ten when those words arrived at my door. It was a quiet night, as it always seems to be, with the laughter of my mother, Kaede, and my two sisters, Gina and Akane, filling the house. The warm, spicy scent of our supper, lentils, mixing pleasantly with their voices. Strange, I can still remember everything, clearer than the present ever was again for nearly three years after. It was then that those words and their terrible reality entered our lives.

Toro is dead.

My father, the center and only support of our little family perched tremulously over a raging storm, had died in a common place fishing accident.

I can still hear my mother scream. I can still feel little Akane cling to me. I can still see Gina trembling beside the fire, where a moment ago she was singing and dancing.

I can remember the man who brought to us this news, I can still see his eyes, looking in pity at the family of the late Toro. I can remember the realization, as the first, and only, son, that it was now my job to protect and provide for my family, though I was only twelve at the time.

That night, no one slept. That night, the comfortable, everyday rituals were set aside for grief. We huddled beside the fire, trying to find that it wasn't true. Trying to draw comfort form each other. Mother held Akane, her hands absently stroking her child's wispy hair. Gina slumped against the fireplace, where she had fallen after the man left. In a weak attempt to show strength, I remained standing, though it took every ounce of self control that I had within me. And so we remained, all of that night. Akane drifting in and out of restless sleep, filled with phantoms and shadowed memories, Mother staring at the ancient wooden door, as though willing it to open to reveal him, Gina trembling, choking on ragged sobs, and myself, numb with grief, and I'll admit, raw terror, and trying desperately not to show it.

The next morning dawned, and wordlessly we rose, rekindling the fire, cleaning last night's uneaten dinner. With the work came a calm sort of tranquility, just barely coating our raw grief. Finally, when there was no task for our numb hands, we gathered around the scarred kitchen table.

For hours after that we spoke in hushed and strangled tones. About the good times, about regret, about the future. Finally, we agreed that to stay here would be impossible. There were too many memories. There was also not enough work. Our little island was desperately poor. We had barely managed with Father around. And, well...now that he was gone...I couldn't take care of them. I wasn't a craftsman, I had no apprenticeship, and becoming a fisherman like Dad was now out of the question, Mom couldn't bear to risk losing me to the restless sea as well.

So that very day we began to gather our possessions. We sold what we did not need, and with that we bought a cart. The next day we loaded our lives and each other into that cart, and solemnly waved goodbye to our little village of Kasumi, which had turned out to see us off. Akane screamed and fought Gina's gentle hold, not wishing to leave her home, her friends, and our father's quiet grave. She did not want to travel to this strange new land. To be perfectly honest, neither did I. But I had to protect my family. There was nothing for us in our old home, only misted memories.

And so it was, that we turned towards our new home. Kohona.

As we delicately maneuvered our little cart onto the ferry that was to take us to the mainland, Akane managed to wriggle out of Gina's hold. Before she made it more than five steps I had scooped her up and carried her onto the little raft where the rest of the family was waiting. She cried and beat at me with her little fists, but I grimly held on, not releasing her until the end of the three hour trip. I was just as upset by this as she, but I had to be strong, or at least appear to be. For my families sake.

We landed on the shore of Fire country, and we slowly unloaded ourselves and our possessions, giving our names and destination to the authorities at the port before being allowed to pass onto Fire country soil. We would go to the newly formed shinobi village of Kohona, in the interior of Fire country, where our uncle, my father's brother, had recently moved. Uncle Susumu moved there because he's an accountant, and there weren't any jobs of that sort in Kasumi. Kohona on the other hand, was a developing shinobi power, thanks largely to the efforts of the Shodaime Hokage and his brother the Nidaime Hokage. That was where the money was. And who better to watch after that money than an accountant?

Luckily Akane had fallen asleep almost half way through the ride, with any luck we would reach the first rest stop before she woke again. I returned her to Gina, so that I might have my arms free to push our little hand cart. And so we set off, Mother holding onto Gina's shoulder, while she in turn held onto Akane, and myself pushing the cart.

After about an hour we were all tired, and to our great misfortune Akane had awoken and was voicing her discontent with our current situation in the most aggravating of ways. We still had quite a ways to go, and I was beginning to appreciate why our new home was called after fire. The sun was glaring with an uncanny intensity, and I could feel it sapping my strength. But I stubbornly wiped the sweat from my brow and trudged on, trying to ignore Akane's ceaseless howling.

After another hour I was about ready to collapse, I had never endured such heat. I was also about ready to gag Akane. How, after and hour of unending noise, she still had voice enough to set my ears ringing I will never know. But I was at the end of my rope. I could see that Gina was as well. My mother was a harder read, she seemed to have faded. Her eyes no longer shined with the same luster, and her skin seemed to have been drained of its glow, despite the sun's attempts to bake her a crispy brown. But I quickly shook such thoughts from my head. It was only fatigue, coupled with Akane that was draining mother's color, I told myself, nothing more.

Eventually the skyline of a small rest stop town showed against the dirty horizon. That was another thing this trip had introduced us to. Dust. At home such a thing was unheard of. There was too much moisture in the air for such an uncomfortable haze to exist. None the less, I almost jumped for joy at the sight of the gritty little town. I would have too, had it not been for my extreme fatigue and the grim reason for our journey.

After a couple more minuets of walking we had entered the town proper, and with relative ease we found a hotel. I collapsed on the bed as soon as we entered, and must have fallen asleep as well for when I awoke the light was rapidly fading, and mother and Gina were laying out a makeshift meal that we had packed with us. I crawled over to the food, little realizing that in the days to come for many years afterward I would suffer even greater strain.

We sat around the small table, eating quietly. Even Akane made as little noise as a mouse, though I later learned from Gina that mother had taken her aside and reminded her of our reasons for coming and the hardships we would have faced if we had remained at home.

After our solemn meal we all curled up to sleep, mother, Akane, and Gina in the single bed, and myself on the floor. We could not afford better.

The next day dawned sullen and to my great displeasure, sweltering. We all readied ourselves for another day on the road, a pattern that we would repeat for the next three days until we reached Kohona.

We fell into the pattern of the road, even Akane plodding along as resolutely as the rest of us. Thrice more we staggered into some dusty little town. Thrice we collapsed into a dead sleep upon resting our heads. And thrice more we rose in the morning, gathered our belongings, and returned to the road.

It was the afternoon of the fourth day of travel that I first laid eyes on Kohona. We topped a gentle hill, and there it was before us. A cluster of bright buildings enclosed by a protective wall. We continued walking, grateful for the shade of the ancient trees that surrounded the road. We neared the gate and saw three figures standing there, two strangers, and one our own Uncle Susumu.

"Kaede I'm so sorry." He said, stepping forward and embracing our mother. He then turned to look at all of us, dusty and tired from our journey. "I only wish that there was more I could do."

"You've done more than enough Susumu." Mother said, smiling faintly.

"Here, let me take you to your apartment, I arranged it the moment I got your letter." He said, handing our papers to the other two men, guards I realized with a start.

We were cleared by the guards, and Uncle Susumu led us inside.

I felt a slight tugging on my sleeve, and looked down to see Akane with tears in her eyes.

"Everything's going to be okay, right Jiraiya?" She asked, trying to hold back her tears.

"Yeah." I said, my voice gruff from the strain of controlling my own fear, "Everything's going to be fine."

And with that, I took my first step into Kohona.

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Well, this is really my first go at a serious story, so I'm really pretty desperate for reviews!! Please, tell me if you like it, if you don't, what you thought, if there's something that I can do to improve it, anything! Just review!!! 


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